The Yukaghirs

The Yukaghirs

Introduction

The world is made up of people who have different cultures that guide their behaviors, norms, values, and beliefs. Cultures distinguish the way of life and beliefs among people, and thus what one community belief may not necessarily be the same when compared with another community. Therefore there is a need to embrace differences that exist among people to create unity (Fischer et al., 2014). The Yukaghirs are one of the communities that have different beliefs and norms that guides their way of living. For instance, the Yukaghirs believes that personhood is not the manifestation of humankind; instead, the human is only one of many outward forms of persons (Willerslev, 2007). According to this community is humanity is just a condition and persons include “natural” creatures, and the “supernatural” beings (Willerslev, 2007). Yukaghir`s belief differs from other communities, which believes that personhood is manifested through humankind, and persons only refer to the natural persons in the exclusion of supernatural beings. The core purpose of this essay is to give a justification as to whether the creatures the Shaman communicates with are more likely to be of the same type as those addressed by the hunter, or they are invisible spirits that only the Shaman can hear and understand. Further, the essay will explore the Yukaghir people’s relationships with spirits and shamans’ claims of psychic healing powers in the context of the rational framework of reality

In many cultures across the world, it is believed that only human beings and sometimes supernatural beings who can hear, talk, and communicate with fellow humans or superhumans (Harvey, 2014). However, in other communities like Yukaghirs believes in “animism.” Animism is a belief that all objects, creatures, and places have distinct spiritual essence wherever they are positioned (Harvey, 2014). Using the animism ideology, it is believed that hunters adopt behaviors, languages, and postures of animals and birds that enables them to communicate with them and become kind of predatory seduction (Willerslev, 2007). It is believed that animism is driven by a supernatural power that animates and organizes every objects and materials in the universe (Rsheim, 2005). In communities, it is believed that people are able to communicate with spirits, and they are also consulted in times of crisis and calamities where they offer solutions.

In this context, based on what has been read, seen, and heard about spiritual beliefs and “animism,” I think the creatures the Shaman communicates with are more likely to be the same as those addressed by the hunter due to the following reasons. First, animism argues that it is possible for humans to communicate with birds and animals, both domestic and wild, provided that they can learn their languages and their behaviors (Rsheim, 2005). Therefore, in this case, it is arguable that the creatures that Shaman communicates with are just the same as those hunters’ mimic in their predatory seduction. However, the idea of the existence of invisible spirits that Shaman can hear and understand cannot wholly be disregarded as literature show that there are people who communicate with the spirits. The spirits are mainly used to intercede between humans, but not with animals, and therefore the hunter’s mastery of animals’ behaviors and language hold more weight in this context.

The Yukaghir people’s relationships with spirits and psychic healing power claimed by shamans cannot be of can be understood from the rational framework reality. Instead, it can only be understood, the context of spiritual communication. Plato of Athens of the ancient’s philosophers explored reality and knowledge in detail, and he comes up with the following parameters as a test of reality (Crombie, 2012). According to Plato`s school of thought, the reality was commonly observable, and its existence can be verified. Reality is consistent and not random it is not influenced by mass hysteria or conformity (White, 1976). Further, the reality is perceived to be real and is experienced by humans’ senses (Day, 1994). The Yukaghir people’s relationships with spirits and shamans’ claims of psychic healing powers are not consistent with all people, it is also not possible to see the spirit, and sometimes the psychic healing power is influenced by mass hysteria. This implies that communication with spirit and the psychic healing power claimed by shamans’ does not pass the test of reality as explained by Plato. Therefore, it cannot be understood by the rational framework.

However, as stated earlier, there are some communities where people are believed to communicate with the spirits, and they are seen helpers and protectors, and sometimes information about the people and how to heal their afflictions. Therefore, communication with the spirits can reveal the real sufferings in people, and thus the psychic power can be explained from this perspective. In conclusion, it is possible for people to communicate with animals if they understand their languages and behavior, and communication with spirit and the psychic healing power can not be understood from the rational framework of reality.